• 55 minutes 1 second
    The Option Block 1486: Moves Like Jagger

    Mick Jagger may have studied economics, but this week the panel tackles the market's biggest economic questions. Is Apple becoming the new AI winner while the rest of the Mag 7 struggles under massive capital spending? Are AI infrastructure costs finally catching up with Big Tech? And could the return of single-stock futures actually matter this time?

    Mark Longo is joined by Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi and Uncle Mike Tosaw to break down another busy week in the options markets, including:

    • Why Apple continues making new highs while many AI leaders stumble
    • The growing debate over massive AI spending by Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, OpenAI and others
    • Whether the "Magnificent Seven" are becoming the "Lag Seven"
    • The launch of CME's new single-stock futures contracts
    • Key earnings to watch from Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and more
    • Unusual options activity in CoStar Group and Trimble
    • Strategy Block: Using synthetic covered calls versus cash-secured puts
    • Around the Block: The panel's outlook heading into a pivotal Fed and earnings week
    27 July 2026, 11:32 pm
  • 1 hour 1 minute
    The Option Block 1485: The Twin Terrors of AI and UTIs

    A brutal selloff swept through the markets as concerns over AI spending, earnings, and geopolitical uncertainty rattled investors. Mark Longo is joined by Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz from Cboe and special guest "The Black Hatted" Dan Passarelli from Market Taker Mentoring to break down the biggest stories driving the options market.

    This episode explores the market reaction to disappointing earnings from Tesla and Alphabet, rising volatility as the VIX climbs back toward 20, unusual options activity in Micron, Universal Technical Institute (UTI), LSB Industries (LXU), and Nokia, plus the ongoing debate over whether markets are finally beginning to price geopolitical risk.

    You'll also hear:

    • Tesla and Alphabet earnings reactions
    • AI infrastructure spending and CapEx concerns
    • VIX, SPY, QQQ, and Russell 2000 options activity
    • Massive unusual options flow in Micron
    • Bullish call buying in UTI and LXU
    • Nokia earnings and post-earnings options trading
    • Earnings season strategies and time spreads with Dan Passarelli
    • Around the Block: what the panel is watching next
    23 July 2026, 9:42 pm
  • 58 minutes 12 seconds
    The Option Block 1484: Bathroom Drinking and Options Trading

    On today's episode, Mark Longo, Andrew Giovinazzi and Mike Tosaw dive into another wild mix of market analysis, unusual options activity, earnings season, volatility, and plenty of laughs.

    The show kicks off with memorable trivia ranging from W.C. Fields' famous "bathroom library" to a surprising piece of World War II history before shifting into the biggest stories driving the options market.

    This episode covers:

    • Why markets continue to shrug off geopolitical headlines
    • The coming wave of Big Tech earnings and why Alphabet could set the tone for AI stocks
    • Oracle's collapse and what it may signal for AI spending
    • Apple, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Tesla, Netflix, SpaceX and Palantir
    • VIX activity and whether volatility is finally finding support
    • Unusual options trades in ONON, NOV and CLYM
    • Covered call management after expiration
    • Rolling winners, adjusting losing positions and avoiding perfectionism
    • Earnings previews for Alphabet, Tesla, Intel, American Airlines and more
    20 July 2026, 9:03 pm
  • 59 minutes 51 seconds
    The Option Block 1483: Bargain Hunting in the Options Market

    Is the tech correction finally giving options traders a bargain hunter's paradise? On this episode of The Option Block, host Mark Longo is joined by Uncle Mike Tosaw of St. Charles Wealth Management and Cboe's Henry Schwartz (The Flowmaster) to dissect a choppy, red-tinged market. Together, the panel searches for deals, analyzes massive unusual blocks, and discusses whether the AI/chip trade has finally peaked.

    On The Trading Block
    • Market Round-up: Mark Longo guides the team through the SPX flirts with the 7,600 magnet, a slipping Nasdaq, and VIX cash vacillating around the 16 handle.

    • The Chip Sell-Off: Mike Tosaw breaks down why blockbuster earnings from Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) triggered a massive wave of "sold to you" across AMD, Nvidia, and Micron.

    • SpaceX Breakdown: Trading well below its IPO price, Henry Schwartz details the bizarre 330 call options activity and explains how double-levered ETFs use these deep out-of-the-money options for risk management.

    • The New Number Three: Apple solidifies its lock on the #3 spot in options volume. Plus, a preview of earnings for Netflix and Alcoa.

    The Odd Block (Unusual Options Activity)
    • Papa John's (PZZA): A massive roll-up in the August 40/45 vertical call spreads. Is someone picking the bottom in pizza volatility? Henry Schwartz dives deep into the Cboe data.

    • Cerebras Systems (CBRS): Mark Longo points out heavy volume in the July 31st 360 calls for this newly listed AI/semi player.

    • DNOW Inc (DNOW): A customer unloads over 5,900 of the September 14 calls. Why writing these juicy calls might be a genius "line in the sand" play.

    The Mail Block & Around the Block
    • Extended Options Hours: Henry Schwartz gives an exclusive update on the pending rollout of pre-market single-name options trading.

    • Mike Tosaw shares what he's keeping on his trading radar for the rest of the week, from bank earnings reactions to the next wave of mega-cap tech reports.

    16 July 2026, 9:10 pm
  • 56 minutes 7 seconds
    The Option Block 1482: War Vol Returns as SPCX Falls

    In this Monday edition of The Option Block, Mark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw, and Andrew Giovinazzi break down the lighter-than-expected market reaction to escalating headlines, China's mysterious domestic oil consumption cuts, and the massive wave of bank earnings hitting the tape this week.

    The crew dives deep into the options tape to track surging volume in the VIX July and October cycles, alongside heavy single-name trading in NVIDIA (NVDA), Tesla (TSLA), Apple (AAPL), and the post-IPO fire sale in SpaceX. Plus, unusual activity lights up biotech name Agenus (AGEN) after securing a $340M colon cancer trial, and a short-term pop hits Shake Shack (SHAK).

    In the Strategy Block, Uncle Mike breaks down an educational, risk-managed way to scale into SpaceX using an August 1x2 ratio put spread—buying the 110 put and selling two of the 100 puts to create a heavily discounted entry point.

    What's inside this episode:

    • The Trading Block: Market reaction to Persian Gulf tensions, oil hitting 1-week highs, and VIX volume surges.

    • The Odd Block: Frenzied call buying in Agenus Inc. (AGEN) and short-term weekly targets in Shake Shack (SHAK).

    • The Strategy Block: How to use a 1x2 ratio put spread to lower your break-even point on highly volatile stocks.

    • Around the Block: Pre-earnings straddle pricing for JPMorgan (JPM), Citi (C), Bank of America (BAC), and Goldman Sachs (GS).

    13 July 2026, 8:42 pm
  • 56 minutes 5 seconds
    The Option Block 1481: Wild VIX Spreads and Crazy Biotechs

    Mark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw, and Henry Schwartz (The Flow Master) dive right into the record-breaking June options volume and dissect some highly unusual trading activity across VIX and biotech sectors.

    In this episode, the panel covers:

    • The Trading Block: A look at the market shrugging off geopolitical tensions in Iran. Plus, analyzing the mind-boggling 1.6 billion contract volume from June 2026, driven by massive surges in ETF, equity, and index options.

    • Wild VIX Action: Breaking down an extraordinary, massive November VIX put spread (1x6 trade) and a massive November call strip (strikes ranging from 65 to 95). What are the big portfolio hedgers bracing for?

    • The Odd Block: Spotting unusual options activity in under-the-radar biotechs and tech names, including heavy call volume in Iovance Biotherapeutics (IOVA), October call sweeps in urban air mobility player EHang (EH), and aggressive layering into Aug 20 calls for Sotera Health Company (SHC).

    • Around the Block: Predictions for the S&P 500 as it sits just 75 points away from all-time highs, what to watch for over the weekend, and a look at Cboe's new XSP prediction/binary contracts.

    9 July 2026, 8:32 pm
  • 59 minutes 34 seconds
    The Option Block 1480: America 250 and the Revenge of KLAR!!!!

    host Mark Longo is joined by Henry Schwartz from Cboe and Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management to break down the wildest trends shaking up the options market as we wrap up the first half of 2026.

    The crew dives headfirst into the massive tech market crosscurrents following Micron's blockbuster earnings release. Is the tech wreck fading, or are single-name equity options setting up for a major fade? Plus, the team analyzes a surprising spike in the VIX driven entirely by SPX upside FOMO positioning.

    In this episode's Trading Block and Odd Block segments, the panel uncovers questionable, high-volume flow in some very unusual names:

    • Bumble (BMBL): Checking back in on the land of ladies looking for love. Why are traders suddenly buying up the August $3 calls on this beaten-down name?

    • Klarna (KLAR): A massive institutional call-selling sweep hits this buy-now-pay-later fintech giant. Is it delta hedging or a short-term volatility play?

    • Chime Financial (CHYM): A deep look into a massive, wide-collar strategy using low-delta puts and calls ahead of August earnings.

    • The Silver Saga: Mike Tosaw addresses the live chat backlash after hesitating to pull the trigger on his famous $40 SLV put claim.

    Around the Block: The team previews what to expect from market volume, oil prices, and crypto/MSTR volatility heading into the upcoming America 250 holiday week.

    25 June 2026, 8:31 pm
  • 58 minutes 39 seconds
    The Option Block 1479: Biotech Calls, Pizza Puts & SpaceX Tears

    On today's episode, host Mark Longo and the all-star panel break down a fascinating "ho-hum" macro day that is hiding massive, wild swings under the surface of individual single-name equities.

    First, the crew tests their wits with an official geography question from a 1980s Trivial Pursuit deck that leaves everyone questioning the data. Then, Mike Tosaw and Andrew Giovinazzi dive deep into the trading floor to look at the massive rotation into small caps (IWM), unusual vertical action in September VIX options, and why the tech giants (MSFT, GOOGL, AMZN) are shedding serious weight from their recent all-time highs while AI chip darlings like SanDisk (WDC) and Micron (MU) steal all the oxygen in the room.

    On the Trading Block & Odd Block:
    • SpaceX Tears: Andrew's mama, Mama Lobster, is in mourning as SpaceX plunges roughly 11% in a single session. Is the air coming out of the IPO bubble, or is the premium vastly underpriced for single-leg buyers?

    • Biotech Calls (ERAS): Heavy upside call buying hits the October 20 lines for Erasca Inc. Andrew breaks down why this early-stage oncology player is seeing big institutional accumulation.

    • Pizza Puts (PZZA): Massive volume hits the August 25 puts for Papa John's. The panel breaks down why the entire restaurant and fast-food sector is getting squeezed eight ways from Sunday.

    • Fiserv (FI): The continuation of the massive July 40 put saga. Is paper finally getting assigned on this "stair-step" downward trend?

    The Strategy Block:

    Mike Tosaw breaks his own golden rule of spreading to discuss why the extreme volatility and massive price extensions in SpaceX make a rare, compelling case for buying single-leg options instead of spreads.

    22 June 2026, 9:31 pm
  • 58 minutes 59 seconds
    The Option Block 1478: Talking SPCX and Dodging Assassins

    On this truncated holiday edition of The Option Block, host Mark Longo is joined by panelists Mike Tosaw of St. Charles Wealth Management and Henry Schwartz of Cboe to break down a wild, high-volume week in the options market.

    The crew dives deep into the absolute blockbuster debut of SpaceX options, putting up a staggering 1.8 million contracts on day one—roughly 5X the historic 2012 Meta IPO record. The panel adjusts those numbers for "options inflation" compared to 2012's average daily volume (ADV) and analyzes the extreme upside skew, crashing implied volatility, and how retail traders are playing the action. Plus, Mike Tosaw gives his take on the new Fed chair's shift in guidance policy and details why he's keeping an eye on silver (SLV) put options. Finally, the team breaks down unusual activity in Butterfly Network (BFLY), Allot Limited (ALLT), and QuantumScape (QS).

    18 June 2026, 9:27 pm
  • 57 minutes 28 seconds
    The Option Block 1477: Who Sank Our Battleship?

    The market is throwing a massive party following a surprise Middle East deal and Elon Musk's highly anticipated SpaceX IPO. The major indices are ripping higher, and the VIX is crashing hard—briefly touching a 15 handle.

    But is this explosive rally a "done deal," or are the markets setting up for a sharp reversal? In this episode, Mark Longo, "Uncle" Mike Tosaw, and Andrew "the Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi kick things off with a bizarre 1980s history trivia challenge before diving headfirst into the madness across the equities and options landscape.

    On the Block:
    • The Trading Block: Breaking down a wild 2% surge in the S&P and a massive 3% rip in the Nasdaq. Plus, a look at crashing crude, collapsing volatility (VIX & VVIX), and Mama Lobster's exclusive allocation of SpaceX shares.

    • The Odd Block: Bizarre, questionable, and "no-bid" options activity in Fiserv Inc. (FISV) after their CEO abruptly jumps ship, and massive call buyers loading the boat on a seemingly impossible weekly strike for Morgan Stanley (MS).

    • The Strategy Block: Uncle Mike breaks down a comprehensive case study using a 1-by-2 ratio spread as a powerful stock repair and risk-management strategy for skyrocketing AI plays like AMD.

    • Around the Block: What to watch during a truncated holiday week, upcoming FOMC minutes, and what the future holds for the new Fed Chair.

    15 June 2026, 7:25 pm
  • 57 minutes
    The Option Block 1476: SPCX Poised to Rock the Options Market

    On this episode of The Option Block, Mark Longo is joined by "Uncle" Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) and Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz (Cboe) for a lively discussion covering the biggest stories driving the options world.

    This episode dives into:

    • Why SPCX could rock the options market
    • The enormous anticipation surrounding the SpaceX listing and its upcoming options launch
    • Whether selling volatility after hot IPOs is actually a winning strategy
    • Massive SPX intraday swings and what they mean in historical context
    • VIX hovering above 20 and what elevated volatility means for traders
    • Record-breaking options volume across SPY, SPX and QQQ
    • Oracle's post-earnings collapse and continued AI spending concerns
    • Big moves in Apple, Nvidia, Intel and Micron
    • Unusual options activity in UNIT and LifeZone Metals
    • Cboe's upcoming XSP binary options launch
    • Plus plenty of classic Option Block banter, market insights and listener questions.
    11 June 2026, 11:39 pm
  • More Episodes? Get the App